A Curse and a Gift
by PauleenAnne
Summary: A girl wanted by some people for a reason. She struggles with life with her two part time jobs, school and taking care of her brother. However, there's something special that she's hidden among others, even her brother. Will it be able to change her damned fate? Perhaps. R
1. I

**A Curse and a Gift**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Chapter I – Her life**

Laughter echoed through the once silent halls of the school. Three girls, still dressed in their uniforms, laughed loudly as they walked along the empty hallways. On the left side was a girl named Michiru with a slightly brown and wavy hair that she had into a high ponytail. One the right side was Misa with her dark and straight hair flowing freely on her back. In the middle of it all was a petite brunette named Mai who had her hair cut short. One could easily guess that they were best friends hanging out late in school.

The sun had already set long ago far in the west and the stars were already coming out, twinkling their way to the dark skies. The air was cold and sent shivers down to the remaining people in the campus. After retrieving their bags from their room, they immediately went to the gates when the guard basically 'shooed' them. After another fit of laughter outside the gates, they finally bid each other goodbye.

Instantly, after the others were gone from her sight, Mai let out a tired sigh. She didn't want to stay so late at school but her friends were keeping her there longer and she had no choice but to oblige. She had actually intended to go out early and buy a cake then go home. Walking a little faster, she bought the desired item and went to take a cab. She looked out the window and drummed her fingers restlessly against her thighs as if willing the driver to go faster.

She was late.

_I hope he didn't wait that long…_

* * *

Immediately getting out of the cab after paying, Mai dashed through the dirt road heading to their isolated house. The road was mostly hidden by trees so it may look like she was going into a forest but rest assured, she isn't.

A decent sized house lay in a clearing coated by a dark shade of green and its roof was a dark brown that looked like black in the night. A smile graced Mai's features and went to unlock the door. She discarded her bag on the nearby couch and went upstairs. Facing a dark mahogany door, she was about to knock but realized that she still had her shoes on. Sheepishly smiling to herself, she removed them and simply opened the door revealing a teen clad in white sitting up on his bed and looking out at the window beside him.

"Happy birthday, Kai!" Mai smiled brightly and showed him the cake she bought. "I brought mint cake, our favorite."

The said teen faced his sister and laughed lightly, "Happy birthday to you too, Mai."

With that, both teens laughed at each other before Mai sat down to the chair next to the bed. Setting down the cake and opening the box containing it, Mai offered her brother a slice and one for herself too. Kai silently thanked her while, in return, she smiled.

"I'll go get some drinks, I'll be right back!" She announced and went downstairs.

It had been like this for years after an incident that they decided not to talk about anymore. It was a silent agreement they had though Kai doesn't recall much about it. After that, they lived a happy and content life but somehow, danger still comes once in a while. Maybe it was there all along, hiding and lurking in the shadows; waiting to attack. They had to be hidden from the many eyes of the people they wish not to encounter. This was the life they chose to live. It was the only option for them actually, if they want to live a couple more years.

And sadly, Kai didn't have much to begin with.

Mai went upstairs with two hot chocolates inside the yellow mugs she had in hand. Her light footsteps made no noise and perhaps it was a habit she picked up for some reason. She pushed the door open with her elbow and went inside with a smile. She sat down and handed Kai his mug which he accepted gratefully. They began to chat endlessly yet happily.

Kai looked at the dark bags under his sister's eyes. He was worried for her health because he knew she was attending school during daytime and then go home and spend her time with him until he fell asleep. Well, until she thought he fell asleep. He knew she would go outside late at night for her part time job in who knows where and comes back just to have about two hours of sleep before waking up again and preparing for another day to school. He really wanted to help her in any way he could if only he could do so.

He was granted with a weak body while Mai had an extremely healthy body. When they were still small, he was really envious of her and sometimes cursed her for being healthy. He even wished her dead but he took everything back now that he saw how she worked hard for him. She rarely slept and yet she still had a smile on her face. He felt really guilty about the things he thought of her when they were young and for being unable to do anything.

"Goodnight, Kai." Mai softly said as she stood up and took the empty mugs and the leftover cake.

And so he smiled, "Goodnight, Mai. I love you."

He could only offer words from the bottom of his heart and it seemed to be just what she needed. Mai smiled brightly and before turning off the lights she replied.

"I love you too Kai."

Mai took a small nap before changing into her part time clothes. It was actually simple, consisting of a red shirt with a logo of a cat that had a slightly tilted crown, some dark jeans and her red sneakers. She constantly wondered about the weird logo for a 24/7 restaurant. Seriously? A cat with a crown? Who the heck in their right mind would love that? Perhaps some people with a cat fetish.

She rolled her eyes and went outside the house whispering a small 'I'm going now' to the dark and unlit house. She purposely took a night shift since she had school and had to take care of her brother. On weekends she works at a ramen shop, which was actually quite famous so it was paying more than enough. She could just drop out from school and all, but after listening to Kai with his endless chatter about school, she didn't have a heart to do it. She knew that he wanted to attend school, have friends and live a normal teenage life. She wanted to go to school in place of him so that she may teach him new things and tell him what occurred there and all. It made her heart happy when she looked at his eyes which had their full attention to her.

Taking her bicycle with her, she went on the dirt road which was hardly seen and rocky. Feeling the fresh air around her, she let a smile slip onto her mouth and hummed a tune she recently made up in her mind. The moon was high and was in a full circle. Many said that they were born under the full moon at exactly twelve midnight. Maybe that's why she liked the full moon a lot.

* * *

The alarm clock beside her rang incessantly, making the young brunette, who very much lacked sleep, wake up. She forcefully dragged her weary hand to stop it and fought against the heavy gravity pull downwards which was very tempting. She was more tired than usual since the night was spent by rushing to take orders and getting the food to the costumers plus chasing after cats that went a little berserk. It was unusually busy since a teenage girl who had an extreme cat fetish had a party with her friends there along with their cats. Cats were allowed there which wasn't weird considering the restaurant. It was so much work that made her legs and arms ache.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she prepared for a new day at school and packed her bag with the necessary things she needed to get through the day. Before going out, Mai went to say goodbye to her brother before taking off with her trusty bicycle.

"This is going to be an annoying day." She whispered to herself.

Mai rolled her eyes as she pedaled through the school gates. She saw many students greet each other and gossip about the latest topics. She didn't bother to greet anyone since they wouldn't even recognize her. She had an average face for someone so wanted. If the bad guys were trying to find her around the whole world, well good luck.

"Mai!"

Setting her bike to the parking area, she looked at the direction where someone shouted her name. It seems the hyper Michiru was early today, which was quite surprising since she was almost always late along with Mai. She was also a late comer but today seemed different. Probably they had a change of heart.

Nah.

"Well aren't you early today?" Mai teased the girl while cocking her right brow upward.

"I can say the same for you!" She stuck her tongue out.

The two proceeded to talk while going to our classroom which was quite far from the entrance. They already had a hunch that Misa was already there since she was an early bird. She was one of the goody girls who had high grades and was never late. Quite the contrary can be said with the two brown haired girls. They were trying to experience many things since this was their last year together. They wanted to do something 'bad ass' as they would like to say it. Misa sometimes enjoys herself like that too, so she had no complaints about it.

Their friendship was deep, they all thought.

The day had gone by with Mai trying to fight off sleep, Misa listening like a good girl and Michiru banging her head on her desk after a math test. Mai yawned and was granted an early journey to home by her two best friends. She silently thanked them in her head and decided to not ride her bicycle, seeing it was pretty dangerous, much dangerous than a drunk driving a car. She was too sleepy that she didn't see a man in front of her and banged her head against his hard chest. Startled by the encounter, Mai frantically took her bike that fell and bowed sorry three times to the stranger.

"I'm so sorry!" She shouted with a red face.

She was so embarrassed and when she finally looked up, she saw the most beautiful jewels in the world. His eyes were so blue that she couldn't help but stare in awe. He smiled at her and slightly bowed before leaving. Still awestruck, Mai looked at his retreating figure and when he was gone inside the crowd, she shook her head roughly before deciding that she would just ride her bike now. She was completely awake after that. She felt as if she was going to melt under his intense gaze plus that smile that showed pearly white teeth was perfect. Was he really human?

Mai snickered to herself; _Of course he is, duh._

While she was consumed in her own thoughts, she knocked over an unknowing woman who had fiery red hair. What was up with her and knocking people up?

"Watch it you twerp! Look!" She held her hand up, showing long nails that were painted in red. "You ruined my nails!"

Mai grimaced and helped the woman who was talking her ear off for 'ruining her nails'. It was a friggin' scratch, seriously? She could just re-paint it herself when she got back home right? But, of course, it was still Mai's fault for not paying attention to her surroundings so she swallowed up everything the woman said while she repeatedly said sorry.

"Hmph. You better watch out next time, okay?" Somehow, the woman said softly, almost as if in a caring manner even though she was crossing her arms like a villain.

This bubbled up something warm inside Mai's chest which made her smile genuinely to the lady in front of her.

"Yes. I really do apologize and I'll watch out next time! I promise!"

They both smiled and went to their own ways. She had a smile plastered in her face for the whole day after that encounter. When she got home, she went to Kai's bedroom and shared everything that happened during the day. He laughed at her clumsiness or was her idiocy? Maybe.

After the lively dinner between the two siblings, they immediately slept, getting whatever sleep they needed. Tomorrow, she had work at the ramen shop called 'hana hana'. It was a weird name but it was famous alright. That night, Mai dreamt about beautiful monster. Was there such a thing? Perhaps, since dreams were pretty twisted and weird in ways more than one.

* * *

_Wiping the blood on his hands, he looked at the full moon and then to the corpse that lay in front of him. His eyes narrowed and looked at it with disgust. Glancing at the moon once last time, he turned to the opposite side and walked away. He walked with grace and had an air of respect surrounding him. His long hair that was as black as a raven was bound at the nape of his neck with a midnight blue tie while his clothes were as pure as a white dove which had greatly contrasted against his hair. The most striking feature of his was his midnight blue eyes that were hidden under his long black eyelashes._

_He was a killing perfection._

* * *

**A/N: Woot! Here's a new story. Oh yeah, I drew something for this story which was made out of my free time yesterday. BTW, for those who have read "ハートコール: A Heart Calls" Sorry and maybe - _maybe - _I'll try and continue it. Someday . trust me, I may do that since I don't like leaving a story unfinished. Arrggggh! Anyway, haha, Here it is. Reviews are very much appreciated. Enjoy Reading and tell me what you think!  
**

**LINK: pauleenanne . deviantart art / A-Curse-and-a-Gift-455660074**

**Just remove the spaces**

**-PauleenAnne**


	2. II

**A Curse and a Gift**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Chapter II – HanaHana (FlowerFlower)**

Morning came with rain but that didn't put off the young brunette's day seeing that she woke up on the right side of the bed. She made breakfast for her and her brother which was bacon with eggs plus some hot coffee. They just love coffee. Placing the plates and food, everything was ready. Mai called her brother to come down to eat and waited for about five minutes before she heard slow footsteps coming.

"You seem to be in a pretty good mood today."

Mai smiled and nodded. "I guess so."

"You don't 'guess so', you know so. And according to my memory, you like to wake up late." Kai sat down while teasing his sister.

"Moh! Let's just eat. Don't go spoiling my mood." Mai glared playfully and started to dig in at the food in front of her.

Kai grabbed his spoon and fork, offering a small prayer and then ate silently unlike her sister who pretty much ravished her food. She had always been like that which still amused Kai, no matter how many times he saw it.

"Slow down or you're going to choke on your food sis."

Kai reminded her sister but then it was too late already. She choked on the eggs she just ate and was patting her chest hard. Immediately, she was given a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted and drank it in an instant. Her face was still red from the scene she just made and Kai found it funny.

"That saved me!" Mai exclaimed as she let out a big breath while slamming the glass on the table.

"Idiotic sis." Her brother snickered while eating his bacon calmly and slowly.

"Am not!"

And so there goes their early Saturday breakfast.

* * *

"I'm off!" Mai announced while getting into her sneakers.

"Take care, Mai!" Kai said before going back to reading the novel he had in hand. The table in front of him had an amazing pile of books that were already read. On the floor were another pile of books that he had yet to read. This was his hobby since he didn't have much to do anyways. Being home almost all the time was boring, so after finding some books that his sister kept, he was addicted to them. Mai, seeing how happy her brother was after reading some books decided to buy second hand ones since they were much cheaper but it was still in good condition. Can't it get more awesome? Cheap and good? Anyways, Mai went and took off for another day of her job.

The rain turned into a drizzle so she only needed to put on her hood to protect her from the small drops of water. She hummed the tune she made some nights ago. It was a sad tune but she had clung to it for some reason.

Oh well.

As she neared the ramen shop, she saw a lot of people already. She looked at her watch and saw that she was late. Speeding up, she dodged some obstacles before parking her bicycle poorly near the back door of the shop. She had a kind boss but she didn't want to return it by almost always being late. She hastily opened the back door, removed her hoodie and tied her apron with a weird flower logo on the front. If you call swirls a flower, then it's a flower.

She saw her boss cooking like he had no care that there were so many customers waiting. He was always a carefree one.

"Sorry I'm late Bou-san." Mai scratched her head a bit before taking the orders that her other part time partner didn't take yet.

"No problem Mai-chan!" Bou-san said and smiled brightly at her (which she thought that almost blinded her) with a thumbs up.

By the way, her boss' name was actually Houshou Takigawa who insisted that they call him Bou-san since he was 'supposedly' a monk. How can a monk have a ponytail? Aren't they supposed to be bald? Anyways, he had a golden brown hair which was actually quite messy but was always bound by a tie at the back. Her part time partner was Yasuhara Osamu, a high school student like her in their senior years. He had glasses and black hair which was neatly cut. He was a student after all. He had a weird personality though and one wouldn't expect he was the student council president at their school.

Smart ass.

Mai made her way to table another table at the corner who had a freakingly tall guy who typed as if there was no tomorrow. His other eye was covered by his long black hair and he had a suit fit for someone professional. She never expected to have this kind of customer at a ramen shop. Well, one shouldn't judge people by their looks. Maybe he had a secret love for ramen; then again, she shouldn't be saying that professionals can't eat ramen. They have all of their right to eat it.

"Here's your order sir!" Mai happily said, in which the man acknowledged with a nod, before going back to the main counter.

Her once kind and considerate boss was gone when she saw what was happening. A ruckus was starting, made by her boss and a woman who had a familiar fiery hair. They were yelling at each other while Yasuhara was taking over the cooking since they still had a hell lot of customers to serve who definitely had hungry stomachs. Mai silently crept nearer and saw that their poor and sweet customer beside the woman was trying to stop them. His name was John Brown, an Australian priest that came often at the shop. She silently gave her deep sympathies for the priest and went to take another bowl that was ready to serve. But as she held the bowl, she had a good view of the woman's face which was the one whom she bumped into yesterday. Mai grimaced since she knew that the woman was a hard one to talk to. She complained as if there was no tomorrow.

"Looks like Bou-san finally got someone to fight with." She heard Yasuhara whisper to her with a smile. "And it comes with a budding relationship."

It was when everything quieted and calmed down when Yasuhara supposedly 'whispered' it. She could hear a sputtering noise and was followed by a yell.

"Heck, no!" Yelled both parties who were involved. They were pretty much in sync for someone who didn't want another's company. She may as well believe the words of wisdom of Yasuhara.

They looked at each other, snapping both of their heads so fast that she couldn't believe they could do it without snapping their necks. They instantly narrowed their eyes on each other and then decided to end their war. Mai and Yasuhara snickered at the two and proceeded to serve the others who had incredulous looks on their faces from the scene that just occurred. Some teens silently laughed while other people who were old had themselves reminiscing their old days. 'Youth these days' they said.

Coming back for a rest, Mai looked at the still flustered priest. His eyes were a brilliant blue that showed his innocence and had a blond and albeit curly hair. If only he wasn't a priest, he surely would've a lot of girls fawning over him and his cute face (an additional plus for his attitude too).

"You okay there, John?" Mai said and had her back against the counter.

"Oh! I'm fine, Mai-chan. How about ya?" John said with his weird accent. An accent that you couldn't help but laugh at, but she got over it after hearing it for so many times.

"I'm fine as always! By the way, don't fuss over those two over there, they'll get over it." Mai lightly laughed, "I'm going to serve other orders now, enjoy your stay John."

The priest smiled and nodded at her. Mai couldn't help but feel so at home in the shop. People were kind and they were fun to be with. Bou-san was a kind and funny boss while she had a brotherly partner by her side. They helped her so much in her studies and in her financials. She refused the offers they gave her but they always find a way to make her get it. The customers were also kind and the look of satisfaction on their faces as they ate the ramen was so nice to look at. Every single thing inside the shop was so homely that she even went out here with her brother sometimes. He loved the place and the atmosphere of the shop which made him want to come back more. She promised him that she would bring him on Sundays and he agreed with a smile.

Mai wouldn't have bothered with life if she didn't have her brother. She wouldn't have bothered if she didn't have the place like home. She lived not for her sake but for theirs, or maybe she was just being selfish and wanted this kind of satisfaction. Either way, she loved hearing innocent laughs that came out of every person's mouth here.

Even with all the misfortune she had before, she could definitely say she lived a good life.

A loud song rang suddenly, startling the people around the suspect who was panicking a lot, patting his pockets until he found the source. Yasuhara smiled sheepishly and immediately went to pick up the call he was receiving but not before excusing himself. Some laughed while some just went back to eating silently. The red haired woman went complaining to herself about cellphones and such while the priest simply laughed lightly. Bou-san, being used to such occurrences dismissed it as if it was normal and the same could be said to the brunette.

When everything had settled back to what it was before the phone call, another one rang except that it was a soft tune of a girl and a boy singing. Instead of being embarrassed like Yasuhara, the owner immediately went to answer her phone. The people didn't bother with the young brunette as she went outside using the backdoor, though the boss, the woman, the priest, The other part timer and a tall man looked at her retreating figure.

Outside, one could feel the tense air surrounding Mai. She only had one person whom she set at that ring tone – her dearest brother. When she answered her phone, it wasn't the voice that she was expecting to answer that talked to her. Instead, it was a deep callous voice that she wasn't familiar with answered.

"Hello Mai_-chan_." The man on the other line mockingly said.

"Where's my brother?" Cutting to the chase, Mai immediately demanded her brother's presence. She was scared. Where was he? Why wasn't he the one who answered? She had a feeling that was of dread. No one was supposed to know where they lived, even where the heck they were in the world. They were far enough from them. Her legs trembled and cold sweat dripped from her forehead.

The man laughed, finding her somewhat funny, "Oh, don't worry about that brat," rage filled her veins, "He's alive! Well, at least now."

Mai gritted her teeth in frustration and gripped the phone tightly in her hand, "What do you want?"

She could almost hear him smirking, "Well…we want something that you and your brother have."

"I don't know what you're talking about." her patience was getting thin.

Yet again, the man laughed, "You know what I'm talking about. You know it very well."

"I said I don't know!" her voice was a little higher and louder than before. She wasn't very good at calming herself and she knew it. Her brother was the one who was good at facades. He was good at concealing what he really felt but since they were twins, they had a link that no one knows except them. She could feel emotions her brother felt and him her – well, sometimes. He was a secretive one.

"Well, how about this?" The man suggested to her while she was still fuming with anger. She could hear a lot of noise and then some dragging, after that was a thud and for about a half a minute, everything was silent. Then came a voice that she was so familiar with that spoke to her.

"E-everything's fine here…sis."

Mai snapped, like a twig being stepped on in the middle or a pencil being snapped by an angry student. She just snapped. Her brother – her lovely and innocent brother. Anger seeped through every pore of her skin and she felt that her heart was clenched tightly as if in a vice grip of an ogre. Everything was _not _fine at all. Who knows what they could do to him? He was her lifeline – her only will to live on in this cruel world. She had to save him.

She was silent for a long while.

"Just don't hurt him. I'm coming there." Mai dejectedly said. She let all the anger go away. She had no choice in this matter, she really had none. They knew how important her brother was to her. She never expected them to find them in just mere months after their last attack. Their Intel was definitely one of a kind, not that she praises them for it.

"Good girl. You have at least fifteen minutes to come here." The line then went dead and the brunette wasted no time to take her fallen bicycle near the door and took off in haste. She pocketed her phone while pedaling faster and faster. It took at least twenty minutes for her to normally arrive there but if she tried to go faster, she may be there on time. She hoped to be. Who knows what could happen if she didn't?

The clouds suddenly darkened and the wind blew harder against everyone but it didn't bother Mai. Minutes passed by quickly as she sneaked a peak at her watch. She was nearing the trees hiding their home yet she only had a half a minute to go before it was a full fifteen. Her legs were already sore and perspiration covered and dripped from her tired body. Her pure will power was at work, she knew. She wasn't athletic and didn't love sports at all. It really wasn't her forte.

The leaves rustled as she went past them towards the clearing where their house stood. Having seen the house, she let go of the bicycle and went running as fast as her feet can carry her. She then opened the door and immediately went inside only to see something she really shouldn't have. Her legs gave in and her eyes went as wide as they could possibly be. For what did she run for? For what did she try her best to go here anyway? What was the point, when the one she ought to save was being slit on the throat as soon as she came? Blood sprayed on her face – the blood of her precious brother. And she did what she thought she could only do at the moment.

She screamed.

* * *

**A/N: Ain't I love myself? Haha, anyways thanks for the reviews and it seems I got a lot of follows and faves too! Thanks everyone. BTW! I'm finally and officially a college student! Hooraah! The orientation went pretty well. But still, I'm a little nervous and scared but, Oh well. More reviews ;) 'cause I love them. Enjoy reading and stay tuned!**

**-PauleenAnne**


	3. III

**A Curse and a Gift**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Chapter III – Retrace I**

Ignorance was definitely a blissful thing.

She never knew of her brother's hatred for her and she never knew what the world outside the walls of her home was. She never knew anything about the cruel world she was living in.

She played and played with the things she found interesting inside their mansion. She went on and learned how to play piano since she saw one in the corner of their music room. What she asked, needed and wanted was always given to her.

She was their little princess – well, she thought she was.

The young brunette grew and grew into a beautiful young child of ten. She was smart yet she lacked gracefulness and manners that a girl should have. It didn't bother the young child when people looked at her with disgust as she ate using her bare hands. She never even knew why they were looking at her with those faces. She was simply ignorant of the bad things in the world.

She was happy.

Loving adventure, she ventured through their long halls which were adorned with velvet curtains. She saw a big door with intricate yet old designs that was left ajar. Curiosity taking over her little mind, she went inside and saw mountains of books arranged neatly on the shelves. She looked at them with amazement since this was her first time in their library. She was told not to ever read anything in their library but the young girl was very rebellious. She'd get what she wanted. And so she took one book that was on her reach and read it.

Soon after that, she read and read; her tiny nose always buried underneath the thick pages of a book. She then acquired knowledge that they never taught her. She knew of the cruel things about the world. Many of these shocked the little girl yet she still pursued the unknown knowledge. Every single chance she had, she sneaked into the library, taking some books and then hid in her own room. She never stopped learning.

One day, her mother dressed her in a yellow and frilly gown with a big ribbon at the back. She said they were going to a party. The brunette simply waited until they arrived at their destination. Her brother was sitting beside her also in his formal suit. When she looked at her brother, she could see that his green eyes were glaring at her. Before, she would've just thought that he was looking at her. She finally understood that he hated her.

They arrived and she could see pleasantries being exchanged by the adults. She went inside immediately, not caring if she was being impolite to others. She never even knew any of them, why should she bother to greet them?

She sighed and sat on the vacant chair in the corner. The mansion she was in was now full of men and women talking to each other and some had glasses of wine in hand. The younger ones that was at least her age were either chatting with the others or being introduced to some adults. She was all alone and her parents didn't bother to find her.

She then knew that she was lonely.

But she was strong.

She would never cry just because she was lonely. After all, she was a stubborn and hard headed girl who _didn't_ know anything except of what they deemed that she should know. She wasn't a princess at all. They made her to be their puppet. They gave her everything she wanted because she really thought that she would do anything for them in return.

That was before.

All they wanted from her and her brother was their uncanny power of being able to travel through time. She had the power to travel to the past and her brother's to the future. They had special yet separate trainings to control their powers. She traveled to the past a lot already but she couldn't control where to go or even when.

Once, she almost died when she practiced to use her power. She gained consciousness in a middle of a street. A car was speeding up to her and good thing the traffic lights turned red. She thought she was going to die that time and immediately scrammed when she heard lots of honks that the cars aimed at her. She dragged her little feet to the corner of a street that time and starved. When she thought she really was going to die because of hunger, in a blink of an eye, she was inside their house. Seeing her current state, the maids were ordered to bring her food and water immediately. After that she was cleaned from the filth she was covered with.

It was a terrifying experience for her so she momentarily forgot about it.

She was also told to forget about what she saw and she did.

The next day was dark and rainy. She had to attend her lessons again so she was dressed in comfortable clothes for traveling. Walking down the west wing, she opened the last door she saw which led to a decent sized room that had no windows and had an already lit fireplace. Her father was sat on the couch, comfortably drinking tea. She greeted him with a straight face.

"Sit down."

The girl sat on the couch that was facing the other party. Beside her was a bag packed with necessities that she needed for a whole day to who-knows-where. When they knew that there may be dangers waiting for her when she went to the past, they readied stuffs needed for her own survival. At least they cared enough to do that for her. She was tired of traveling to unknown places which was, more or less, dangerous.

"Today, try concentrating on the time you learned piano for the first time." Her father said while not really looking at her. It's as if he was pretty distracted today but she paid it no mind.

She just nodded and undid the bandage on her shoulder. It revealed an aqua blue mark of a crescent shaped moon. Near it were scars that were fading and some were still a week old. The brunette took a knife from the bag beside her and slashed her shoulder for a bit to draw blood. It trickled down and took over the mark which was now a red moon instead of a blue one. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared but not before taking the bag with her.

Gusts of wind blew, making her hair tickle her face. It was soon followed by big drops of crystalline water from the crying skies. The brunette woke up with a start when the cold rain made contact with her skin. She took her bag and ran towards the north from where she was but she was drenched in a matter of seconds. She cursed for the first time and rubbed her cold shoulders while frantically looking for a shelter.

"It's so damn cold!" The brunette cursed yet again.

A dense forest was up ahead and she had no choice but to go there while asking the trees to at least shelter her. Somehow, she found a spot where the rain didn't fall yet it had a lot of shrubs and twigs around the area. Her butt hurt as she sat down on the twigs _unintentionally. _ She was tired so she didn't mind the pain…at least for the meantime. She silently wrapped the wound that she inflicted on herself moments ago.

A growling sound came resounding through the silent forest. She grabbed her stomach and quelled her hunger by eating a packed apple from her trusty bag. She had failed to control her powers again and was tired of doing this again and again; always endangering herself. She may sound so selfish but she wanted nothing about this power of hers.

A sigh escaped her lips and she decided to take a nap. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to at least ease the pain on her aching behind. Few minutes passed and she finally fell asleep hugging her knees close to her chest. Unbeknownst to her, a tall man dressed in a suit of olden times watched her from the shadows.

Her nap turned into a fitful slumber which was accompanied by rough coughs. Her wet shirt and shorts clung to her while the harsh winds still blew. The young brunettes face was rosy from the cold she was getting. She slowly opened her eyes as a crow landed in front of her. A smile graced her features and petted its head as if it saved her from the loneliness she was beginning to feel. However, after a full minute, the crow left flying towards the east.

Not wanting to be left along, she was about to chase after the crow but her tired body made her stumble and soon she lost consciousness while trying to reach out her hand towards the darkness of the forest.

A man who was more than six feet tall came out from the darkness that the tress gave him and looked at the fallen girl. Without second thoughts, he scooped up the little girl in one arm while the other took her bag. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but it was better than to leave her in the forest since it was almost night time. He walked with haste going to his house while, from time to time, sighing. What would his wife think about this?

"She would be enthralled to have a guest." The man muttered under his breath.

Soon, the grounds were covered in a white blanket of snow while more came falling slowly. A house came into view – a mansion would be a better word for it – which had flowers growing near it despite the freezing cold weather. It was a grand and western styled house with intricate carvings here and there. Lights soon erupted from the windows since it was getting dark.

The tall man opened the big door with only his left elbow. As soon as he opened the door, a maid came rushing in and greeted him with utmost respect since he was the lord of the house. The maid was going to hand him a towel to dry himself from the snow but stopped halfway when she saw that he had something and someone on his arms. The maid took the bag that the man had and went to hand him the towel. She then excused herself and went back to cooking.

A butler then came, bowed and said to him, "The Lady is waiting at the tea room, my Lord."

The man nodded, "Clean this girl and have her wear something dry. Let her sleep for the meantime in the guest room."

The butler was handed the small sleeping girl and he called for other maids to do the job of cleaning and clothing her. The servants then excused themselves.

The man walked towards the room where his wife was residing. She was calmly drinking tea while looking outside the window with a smile.

"Madoka." The man called out to his wife which she replied with a big smile.

"It seems we have a guest today!" Madoka happily said as she put down her teacup. "So, why did you bring her here? It's unlike you."

She stood up and took the towel in her husband's hand and lovingly dried his wet hair. The man let her and let out a small sigh before sitting down. He then explained.

"I noticed that there was someone who didn't belong here came so I checked. I saw her on the dark forest all alone and after some time, she collapsed, most likely from a fever. It was getting dark so I had no choice but to bring her here."

She nodded in understanding and then slapped her husband's back, "Go change now, idiot. You're making the couch wet."

The man rolled his eyes and stood up. Halfway through the door, his wife called out.

"By the way, Lin…Thank you for caring for them even though I know you dislike their kind."

He let a small smile slip from his lips.

Mai blearily opened her eyes and saw an unfocused pink – or magenta – blob in beside her. She rubbed her eyes and saw the most beautiful woman she had laid her eyes upon. Her hair was a weird magenta color and her attire consisted of a pink and white. She had a white shawl draped across her petite shoulders and a small book in hand.

"Oh, you're awake. How are you dear?" The woman asked gently and kindly.

The little girl blushed and nodded her head twice. The woman lightly laughed at her shy behavior and smiled.

"My name is Madoka, how about you?"

The brunette looked at the woman and smiled, "Mai."

Hours passed by quickly and the two were already close to each other; like sisters perhaps. Lin could only watch with a smile as his wife smile so much while playing with the girl he just picked up. They made snow mans and she taught her how to make flower crowns on their garden that was ever blooming. Their laughter filled the whole mansion that was, for so long, silent. The man even thought of keeping the girl here with them. It would be a nice change for them.

The girl who was named Mai neared the tall man with a hopeful look in her eyes. Lin quirked a brow in question and let the girl grab his hand. He flinched slightly at the unfamiliar touch but ignored it and asked the child what she wanted. She was about to open her mouth but instead, she grimaced as if something was tugging at her being.

"What's wrong?" Lin was alarmed by her reaction to something unknown to him.

She looked at his wife and then at him with saddened eyes. "What's your name, mister?"

Her body started fading starting from her legs. This alarmed the couple but the girl only smiled and repeated her question. It was as if she knew this would happen eventually and simply smiled as her fingers started to fade as well.

"Lin."

Her smile got bigger and then said her own name, "Mine's Mai! Let's meet again."

In a blink of an eye, she was gone and she took the noise with her. The mansion was, yet again, silent especially the couple that looked at ground where the girl they came to love stood moments ago.

It was the first time that Mai was happy that she had a power to travel through the past. They may be long dead in the present but she wanted to see them and stay with them than here in her house.

"What are you doing here?"

Mai looked around her and saw her brother standing on the far left side of the room – his room. Ever since she knew her brother hated her, she couldn't look at his eyes for more than a second.

"I'm sorry, Kai! I'll go out now!" She immediately stood up causing something to fall from her pocket. It was a very red apple that she forgot to eat when she was still in the past. She took it and smiled.

"Here. It's very tasty, I promise. Just wash it a bit and have a taste." She tossed it to her brother who was a little dumbfounded while looking at the fruit that his sister gave her.

Mai turned around and went to open the door, but before she left she could swear that she heard a small 'thank you' from her brother.

She had a happy day.

Later that day, was when they left crying and running with nothing but their small bags that had money and some necessities. Her brother was still shocked and perhaps traumatized so she had no choice but to be strong for both of them. She had to.

She was the older sister, after all.

* * *

**A/N: I'm back. Sorry, I got sick and it isn't my fault for being born asthmatic right? xD Anyways, you thought you could read what happened to Kai after being slit right? I just had to go back to the past and this won't be the last retrace. And yay! A lot of people are reading and reviewing and following and 'favoriting' A Curse and a Gift! Good news haha! Read and Review! Classes are going to start next week. Oh shoot btw, I just love the cast for the Ghost Hunt Live action! And I can't imagine Theo being John at all! But I love it all in all and Haruma is Naru . Yum.  
**

**-PauleenAnne**


	4. IV

**A Curse and a Gift**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Chapter IV – For what was worth**

Everything seemed to slow as her brother fell onto the ground with a loud thud. Blood continuously flowed from his neck at a fast pace, staining the white floor with red. Tears welled up in her eyes yet they never fell down her cheeks. She only watched in silent horror.

Kai gasped and tried to suck in air but only managed to choke on his own blood. The choking and gurgling noise that he was emitting was so scary that it made Mai back away with her hand on her mouth. He reached his hand towards Mai's scared figure as if trying to ask for help. After what seemed to be only seconds, eyes still wide open, he finally stopped moving.

It took Mai a half minute before she scrambled pathetically towards her brother's unmoving form.

"Kai…" She silently whispered.

Her voice was trembling as she said her brother's name like a chant. Her eyes were looking for the light in his eyes, yet there was none. Her hands held her brother's bloodied ones and held it up near her lips as if waiting for him to squeeze her hand in assurance that he was alive. Her ears strained to hear him breathe and talk to her.

None of her wishes were granted, for only deadly silence greeted her.

Disgust and anger bubbled inside her as she looked at the man five feet away from her. He cleaned his blade with a satisfied and amused face. Noticing her stare – glare, he looked back at her and raised a brow.

She had enough.

She stood up immediately, letting go of the hand that was once warm against her own. Tears leaked down her face as she snarled a curse at him. Her mouth moved on its own as she yelled.

"Shit! You twit! Curse you! Why in the bloody blazes of hell did you kill him? Did I not say that I will come here!?" Her voice was hoarse yet she didn't know why. Perhaps it was the lump that was forming inside her throat.

The man laughed –it seemed to be something he loves to do – and neared her slowly, as if he was mocking her. With only two long strides, he pointed the newly polished blade near her throat.

"I killed him," he slowly said, malice lacing his voice, "because you were a second late."

Mai's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to say something back, yet only to close it since he touched the blade to her chin as if wanting to lift it up. She willingly lifted her chin after it pricked her, instantly drawing blood.

"Remember this, I came here for fun and not to take you _just yet._ So what if you weren't late? I really don't care. I find pleasure when I see anguished and pathetic faces like yours." He laughed again for a bit and then lowered his voice. "Just know that your face is my favorite."

His icy blue eyes were glinting with some sadistic pleasure. He retracted the blade and hid it somewhere in his pants' pocket. Rubbing his left eye, he walked towards the door casually – like nothing happened at all.

The silence was cut by a question.

"Your name…" Mai asked while bowing her head down.

The man turned around, the wind outside tousling his platinum blonde hair. He smiled innocently like a child who never knew of anything but kindness. If one would look closely, he was definitely a handsome man in his late teens. A chiseled jaw that, perhaps, wasn't fully shaped yet, a nose that was neither short nor too long, porcelain skin that wasn't flawed and pearl white teeth. His long lashes even compete with a woman's while his structure was that of a sculpture.

"Warner."

With that, he left, silently walking under the harsh rains and winds until he vanished from sight. Mai surely would remember that name as someone she would curse forever.

"Warner." His name rolled over her tongue before fainting beside her brother. Maybe it was from everything that happened which she couldn't process. Maybe she was just in a very, _very_ bad dream.

She couldn't wait to wake up and be done with this nightmare.

* * *

Mai could hear hushed voices of two, or perhaps more people. Her nose then picked up the disgusting smell of disinfectant. It was then that she knew she was in a hospital. She felt dread creep onto her whole being as she listened silently to the person who seemed to be her boss and another familiar voice of a woman.

"…happened. It's just…so frustrating!" Bou-san said, true to his word, frustratingly.

She could hear him sigh and could imagine him furrowing his eyebrows.

"I'm truly sorry for such loss. I know that it's frustrating, but we can't do anything about it." A voice of a woman said, clearly not happy with what she said. She then continued with a whisper that Mai had to strain her ear to listen.

"_He was already dead by the time help arrived. I'm sorry."_

Mai couldn't help but gasp loudly, her eyes fluttering open with tears immediately welling up. It just couldn't be true. It _was _just a dream.

Bou-san and the doctor with red hair were alarmed by the gasp and felt panicky. They didn't know what to say to the young girl who was about to cry. Were they going to tell her the truth, or were they going to lie to her? The former seemed to be the right choice, but the right choice was always the hardest one to do. They stood, frozen while silence enveloped the occupants of the white room. However, it was broke by an unnerving question by the said young girl.

"Kai…did he really die?" She whispered as she looked up the ceiling, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.

Bou-san nodded hesitantly along with a small "Yes."

Mai turned around, facing the window and opposite to the others. The sky was so bright and cheery that she wanted to tear it apart. She gritted her own teeth under a tight jaw as tears freely left her hollow brown eyes. Birds chirping, leaves rustling and footsteps leaving, she felt irritated. What the bloody hell was wrong with the world?! She questioned everything in her mind and it all started with a why. Why was she even born? Or maybe why was she so unfortunate? Why did her brother – her twin – die?

She wasn't a suicidal person, but now she felt as if she _truly _wanted to die. She just wanted to end it all. What was the worth of living a life with nothing to live for? She just felt empty, and, for the first time, _lonely. _

Sitting up, she looked around and saw no one. They must've left since she really needed space and some time alone. Still looking around, she tried to find something she could use, but to no avail. That was until she saw her long nails. Somehow, she found the sharp edges of her nail so interesting that _it_ could actually do something for her at the moment.

It could actually do her a favor.

She lifted her other hand and openly displayed her wrist, while the other hand was ready to scratch something to a bloody pulp. She grinned albeit crazily as she started to scratch her wrist. Long red marks started to appear first until fresh blood came oozing out slowly. She winced, but paid it no heed as she continued what she was doing.

The door creaked open, revealing a shocked Yasuhara as he saw the brunette doing something she really shouldn't. He dashed forward and held her hand tightly, trying to stop her from doing more harm.

"Let go! Let go!" She yelled as she squirmed under Yashuhara's tight grasp.

"I will not! What do you think you're doing!?" He yelled at her, clearly angry. It was the first time he got angry with her and it scared her. However, she still struggled to be free.

Bou-san immediately came back after hearing the shouts and was shocked to see the scene before him. The red haired woman, who was name Ayako, also came. Both went inside and saw a very wild Mai who was trying to push a sturdy Yasuhara.

Perhaps it may have been that Bou-san was concerned for Mai's well-being or maybe because he simply couldn't let her do such a thing called suicide but a slap was enough to silence everyone. Yasuhara let go of Mai's hand as he looked at Bou-san, shocked. Ayako had her eyes open wide but knew that she would've also done it. Mai had her face brought to the side because of the impact but it wasn't the one that shocked her. She held her reddening cheek and looked at her boss, eyes wide.

"Young girl! I do not tolerate such actions and you were the last person on earth that I expected to do such a thing!" He angrily yelled.

"You don't know me! How can you say such things when you're not even my father!?"

He was hurt by her harsh words towards him.

"How could you? I've always treated you as if you were my daughter. I may have no right to scold you like this but…I care for you. Can't I just do that?" The words he uttered seemed to bounce through the walls of the small room as silence seemed to engulf them.

It was then that Mai realized that she was doing something wrong and she hurt her father-like figure for the things she said. She was just…_confused._ She didn't know what to do anymore.

She cried and wailed like a child as Bou-san hugged her tightly. The other occupants were silently watching before they took Mai for her hand to be treated. She, of course, nodded willingly and wiped away the tears using the back of her hand. She was then immediately offered a white handkerchief from her part time partner which she gratefully accepted while sniffing.

She had just lost her brother but she also found that there were people who cared for her. Her mind finally functioned normally after Bou-san lectured her. She smiled a bit.

They soon entered another room where there were was a first aid kit located and some other medicines. Ayako made her sit down on the bed and went to take out the necessary things they needed. As the doctor started to treat her wound, she talked to her.

"You should know that people who have someone to scold them are lucky."

Mai raised a brow in question, "Why is that?"

Ayako then shook her head, disbelieving that she didn't know why. She still answered her anyway, "It's because they have someone who cares for them enough to scold them if what they're doing isn't right. They scold people because they don't want anything bad to happen to them."

Realization struck Mai as she looked down on her feet. She nodded slightly and asked, "What's your name?"

"Ayako. Matsuzaki Ayako." She smiled as she finished tending to her wound.

Mai offered her a small 'thank you' before they went back to her room.

* * *

It was about two days after, that they asked Mai what really happened. Bou-san said that he and Yasuhara were getting worried about her after she answered the call. She never came back to them and the weather was terrible. They found out that she lived in a much hidden place because they asked people near the address she wrote on her resume. It seemed that some saw her walking towards the lot where there were only trees. Yasuhara and Bou-san searched and searched until they saw a clearing. They assumed that it was her house and went to the open front door. As they saw the blood pooling under the twins, they immediately called for help.

The weather was truly bad that it delayed the arrival of the ambulance. There was also the matter that it can't go inside the dirt path for it was full of trees that blocked the way. They had to carry both teens to the vehicle but they knew that Kai's heart had long stopped beating. Mai, however, was only unconscious yet bloody because of her twin's blood. When they arrived at the hospital, they could really do nothing for Kai but cover him with a white cloth and he was sent to the morgue.

Mai cried as she listened to the story that Yasuhara took the liberty of telling. Bou-san already went home to open the shop, but he promised to visit her in the hospital. Although she was perfectly fine, Ayako told her to stay in the hospital since it was a bad idea to go back to her house.

Bad memories, she said.

Mai both reluctant and relieved, accepted her offer, and promised her that she would pay whatever was needed to be paid. The doctor dismissed what she said and waved her hand as if to say 'no need'.

She truly was a lucky girl to have them by her side. She told them the truth except for the fact that she had the uncanny power to go back to the past. She simply said that they wanted something from them yet she didn't know what it was. They all believed her and decided that they would protect her from the guys that were hunting her.

Mai shook her head. "I don't want you guys to be involved."

They insisted which left Mai no choice but to accept.

"But please don't get yourselves too deep. I really don't want to see you hurt."

They nodded but she had a feeling that they were going to dive in really deep into her problem. She dismissed the idea but kept in mind that she should do something before that happens.

At night, around eleven o'clock in the evening, Mai realized something as she let her mind wander off for a moment. She decided to execute the plan she had formulated inside her head immediately. She was going to use the power that she long ago promised not to use. She was going to travel back to the past and save her brother. Her power was only limited to one travel per day. She can travel back into one time and can stay there for twenty-four hours. It would be equivalent to an hour in the present.

She looked around and saw a fruit basket on the table beside her. She decided to take one apple, but not before wincing a little because she remembered the time she gave her brother an apple. Clearing off her mind of unnecessary thoughts, she looked around again for something to draw blood with. A knife that was used to cut fruits lay in front of her as if asking to be used. She smiled lightly and promised that she wouldn't attempt another suicidal act before taking it. She lifted the sleeve on her right shoulder and proceeded to lightly cut it while focusing on the time before her brother died.

It's supposed to be a nice morning. Yeah, she should go back to that time. It was when they ate breakfast merrily and she even choked on her own food. She should take her brother with her to HanaHana.

The aqua moon turned into a bloody red one before Mai vanished, leaving only a knife on the bed she was sitting on.

However, not all things come as you would've wanted, especially if you don't know how to control something in the first place. Mai remembered that she never really did anything to improve her control of her power.

Birds chirped merrily under the bright blue sky. Sure, she had the time right, which was morning, but it surely wasn't the era she was supposed to go to. Huts were here and there while the vendors sold their products. Far away from the small village was a big castle. She guessed that she may have been transferred into England somewhere in the medieval period.

She sighed and hid from the townsfolk's view while pocketing her apple. She could just try tomorrow, but she should first try to survive a day here.

Things can't get worse, right?

Then it hit her.

Literally.

* * *

**A/N: Hey wassup? I'm sorry for the long update. Busy with adapting to college life. It was fun and, yeah. So I made the Chapter four for you guys! I just finished making a Plate and was so inspired so I just had to finish it now. Read and Review guys! I made a new twitter account Btw, if you want to follow, see updates or simply chat with me find **

** PauleenAnne02 or Meow Rin. That's me.**

**Wait for the next chappy!**

**-PauleenAnne**


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